Teresa has agreed to give Jr. 51%
Q. An update on where you're at right now as far as the contract negotiations go.
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: We're basically where we've been over the past couple weeks. Not much has changed. Unfortunately, I know you guys want to know more than that, and I want to tell you more than that, but there's not more to tell. Whenever we get the information, when I have what I have, know what I know, believe me, I won't hold it out for long. Really nothing to report at this time.
Q. It's been the main story around you. Has it served as a distraction at all?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: No, it's not a distraction at all because really there's nothing been going on. I get worried really that it's being run into the ground. When we find out what we want to do and we decide what to do, how it goes down, what the plan is, we will tell the press. We'll be ready to tell the press. We'll be happy to make those announcements. I get worried that the story is just going to become stale, old, it's going to wear people out. They're going to get tired of hearing it. One of my favorite shows is Around the Horn on ESPN. They were talking about it on there. I know it's getting old when Around the Horn is debating whether it's getting old 'cause they were debating whether it was an old story, we were hearing too much about it, whatever.
Q. I know you don't want to talk about the contract. I'm not asking you to belie any confidences. Would you say it's fair to say now or all along that this has been, how we can get a deal done, not whether we can get a deal done? Has it progressed at all in that direction or has it ever been anything different than that?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: It's not been "if" at all. We've both worked together and it's all been positive. We've just made an agreement between ourselves to try not to talk about it in the media or insinuate anything until we're ready to release the details. Both sides have made that agreement. We had to make it a little bit firmer obviously after this weekend.
Q. Dale, with all due respect to what you already said about your contract this morning, can you at least say whether you're hopeful or confident of staying with DEI?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Yeah, I am. I'm pretty excited that things are going to be fine, things are going to work out with our negotiations. From NASCAR teleconference Transcript
04/21/07 This rumor is downgraded to 'false' today. No formal proposal that would give Dale Earnhardt Jr. 51 percent ownership of Dale Earnhardt Inc. has been made, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge said Friday morning.
Elledge, the lead negotiator for her brother in talks about a new contract with the Nextel Cup team, said that she and Max Siegel, the president of global operations for DEI, have discussed a number of ideas but that no formal proposals have been made.
“All conversations have been between Max and myself in the past few weeks discussing various ideas and alternatives understanding that Teresa (Earnhardt, the seven-time champion's widow) is not willing to give up 51% of DEI for nothing," Elledge said. ThatsRacin
04/20/07 Meanwhile, Earnhardt said an online report that he has been offered ownership in DEI is "news to me." After qualifying, he was asked about the story that he has been offered 51 percent ownership of the company started by his late father. "I don't know anything about that," Junior said, raising his eyebrows. "As far as I know, there's been nothing new in the last week or more."
04/19/07 The Dale Earnhardt Jr. / DEI contract negotiations continue and the influence of ace negotiator Max Siegel may be bearing success. One contact told MaxChevy's Glen Grissom on the down-low that the 51% (or majority ownership) that Dale Jr. requires to stay with DEI has essentially been negotiated – agreed to by Teresa Earnhardt. But that she, in turn, is requesting that an independent, impartial review board be set up within DEI that would take into consideration and review any major operational changes that Dale Jr. would want to take place – acting like a board of directors it seems to MaxChevy's Glen Grissom, with Dale Jr. basically reporting to it. So far, this has been balked at – but stranger management structures have survived in the business world. All parties say they want to have the contract resolved by May, so with April half-over, it’s crunch time. MaxChevy.com